Canine johnny

ABSTRACT

Canine Johnny, for the use of dogs, permanently installed in a domicile, or back yard,said Canine Johnny being provided with automatic flushing means for the disposition of residue , where in dogs may relieve themselves of organic wastes at will without human supervision or assistance, after the dog has been trained to use the Canine Johnny, and thus avoid befouling public or private environs.

United States Patent [191 Hunter Nov. 13, 1973 CANINE JOHNNY [76]Inventor: Australia Hunter, 1540 E. Ocean Pnmary z g chimblee Front,Balboa, Calif. 92661 Ammey" [22] Filed: Sept. 28, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT[21] Appl. No.: 184,481

Canine Johnny, for the use of dogs, permanently installed in a domicile,or back yard,said Canine Johnny [52] US. Cl. 119/1 being provided withautomatic fl hi means for the [51] Aolk 29/00 disposition of residuewhere in dogs may relieve [58] Field of Search 119/1 themselves oforganic wastes at will without human supervision or assistance, afterthe dog has been [56] References C'ted trained to use the Canine Johnny,and thus avoid be- UNITED STATES PATENTS fouling public or privateenvirons.

2,204,416 6/1940 Kramer 119/1 3,318,285 5/1967 Betham 119/1 4 Clam! 5Drawmg Flgum Ware? 4L OUT F10! fcamvzcr re aws 2.)

PAIENIEDIBHBISTS 3.771.491

SHEET 1 OF 2 I M Wltlilil Pmmmunm I915 3771.491 SHEET 2 OF 2 2 WAT-E2WATEE l WHPER LEVEL 1 OuTFZauJ 14 (Gama/Err Ta Sen/ 1 W M INVENTOR.

CANINE JOHNNY This invention relates to a can Sanitary Facility and moreparticularly to a ficility of this character installed in a dwelling ofhuman habitation and which facility is adapted to accommodating thenatural needs of pets when confined in such dwellings to relievethemselves of waste matter in a designated and sanitary manner andwithout the necessity of being taken outdoors for the purpose of suchrelief. It has been demonstrated that pets, particularly dogs, can betrained to utilizethe subject facility with very little trouble and in avery the ubiquitous Water Closet or toilet commonly used by people. V VV 7 Further objects of my invention will appear from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsillustrating a preferred embodiment of the subject inention.

Referring now to Sheet 1 of 2 wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the facility showing its outwardappearance and also a portion situated below floor level. Referring nowto Sheet 2 of 2 wherein:

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal median sectional view taken in the plane notedAA" on FIG. 1 (sheet 1 of 2) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of as seenfrom the vantage point noted B-B.

FIG. 4 is a partial plan view as seen from the vantage point noted CC.

FIG. 5 is a partial front elevation, as seen from the vantage pointnoted D-D.

Referring now to sheet 1 of 2, item 2 indicates that portion of thetotal enclosure which is situated below floor level when in place. Item3 represents a tunnellike structure intended as a passage way for theanimal. Item 4 represents a swing door articulated at its upper edgethrough a hinge pin (not shown) in such manner as to swing freely uponslight pressure at any point below the center line of the hinge pin.Item 5 represents a cabinet-like structure enclosing the whole which maybe plain or decorative and incorporates a removable panel (not shown)for the purpose of providing access for repairs, maintenance or forconvenience in training the animal. Referring now to FIG. 2 which showsa longitudinal median sectional view looking inboard from plane A-A (asindicated in FIG. 1 on sheet 1) except that tank 12 has not beensectioned along A-A." Instead a perspective view seen from the vantagepoint BB has been delineated and noted as FIG. 3. Item 13 of FIG. 3shows a common Ball Cock assembly such as is used in any close coupledtoilet flush tank. Item 11 of FIG. 3 is the water supply inlet pipewhich replenishes the tank when its stored water gallonage has beenexpended. Item 14 of FIG. 3 is a common Ball Flush Valve which shuts offthe stored water from the mouth of pipe until ball 14 is elevated. Item8 of FIG. 3 is one of3 pulleys around which Cable 9 is successivelyreeved. Item 19 of FIGS. 2 and 4 is a rotating Jet Nossle assemblydriven by the pressure of the very water it distributes similar inprincipal to a common type of lawn sprinkler except that one of itsnozzles is offset at a dissimlar angle to the other for the purpose ofobtaining greater water sweep coverage with respect to axialdispungement. Also the distributing ends of the nozzles have beeninclined downward in order to direct the water stream obliquely althoughradially rather than in a laterally radial pattern (see water cascadeFIG. 2). Item 20 FIG. 4 is a Platform of stainless steel plate,perforated, stretched, then rolled flat, commonly available with percentopen area and 35 percent web area per square foot. Item 23 FIG. 2 is aSplash Guard to retain any overspray of the water cascade. Item 2 shownin FIG. 1 and referenced in FIG. 2 is essentially a water basin soshaped as to store a constant pool of water and having a WATER SEAL byallowing an obliquely vertical column of water to rise to a common levelin Gooseneck 22 (see water level and water seal in FIG. 2). Item 21 is atube projecting laterally from the return branch of pipe 10 andterminating in a constricted nozzle obliquely elevated and centrallydisposed in the upwardly inclined portion in gooseneck 22. Thedownwardly inclined portion of gooseneck 22 terminates in a common spudfor connection to a sewer pipe (see outflow FIG. 2). Item 15 in FIG. 2is a stationary gear mounted on the axis of the hinge pin (not shown)which (hinge pin) articulates swing door 4. Item 16 in FIG. 6 is apartial gearfrom which 50 percent of its teeth has been removed andwhich is rotatably mounted on swing door 4 in pitch center engagementwith gear 15. Pulley 17 in FIG. 5 is axially connected to gear 16 sothat rotation of gear 16 will urge likewise rotation of 17. While thisis the preferred embodiment of mechanism to actuate cable 9 othermethods of accomplishment involving bell cranks, levers, cams and pivotsare not herewith excluded from use in this invention. Item 24 in FIG. 5is a permanent magnet fixed "to the framework of tunnel 3 in such manneras to present its north pole to the south pole of a similar magnet fixedon door 4 the purpose being to arrest undue vertical displacement ofdoor 4. Having established nomenclature and description of individualparts and assemlies comprising the whole of my invention, I now describeits utilization;

In operation the animal and in particular a dog upon having been trainedto enter and use the facility and upon volitionally heeding the call tonature proceeds to enter tunnel 3 by pushing swing door 4 inwardly withits head. The door is of light weight construction offering noappreciable resistance. Having then walked through tunnel 3 the dog hasentered cabinet 5 is supported by platform 20. Presently the dog havingattended to the business which urged it to enter now proceeds to leaveby walking outwardly through tunnel 3. Door 4 is opened outwardly in thesame manner as it was previously opened inwardly. The outward rotationof door 4 about its hinge pin actuates gear 16 since the outwardlydisposed half of gear 16 is replete with teeth (the inwardly disposedhalf of gear 16 having been denuded of teeth was not urged to actuate).This actuation simultaneously rotates and actuates pulley 17 about whichcable 9 has been reeved. This action urges cable 9 to elevate flush ballvalve 14 upon which elevation the water gallonage stored in tank 12gravitates downward through pipe 10. This downward rushing water columnthen issues through nozzle assembly 19 with sufficient velocity to causeterminal axis of pipe 10. The designed pattern of water dispungementthus scours every portion of platform 20 and all waste matter is washeddownward through the open mesh of platform 20 or is scavengedperipherally off and is engulfed in the surging water fill of basin 2and is finally disgorged to sewer through gooseneck 22 by the siphonaction common to toilet bowls. When the gallonage stored in tank 12 hasbeen dispensed ball valve 14 is reseated on the mouth of pipe and tank12 is replenished through inlet pipe 11. Other embodiments of myinvention will readily occur to those skilled in the art and are coveredby my claims which follow:

I claim:

1. A sanitary pet toilet comprising an upright cabinet, a basin on thelower end of said cabinet forming a hopper, a sewer trap connecting saidbase into a sewer, a perforate platform supported in a horizontal planeabove said basin in said cabinet, a flush tank mounted in said cabinetsubstantially above said platform, a tunnel connected to the lowerportion of said cabinet to provide pet access to said cabinet, a doorclosing the end of said tunnel opposite said cabinet and mounted forswinging movement about a horizontal pivot through the upper edgeportion of said door, a fixed gear mounted on said tunnel adjacent oneside edge of said door with the axis of said gear coincident with apivot for said door, a second gear rotatably mounted on the said oneside edge of said door and having gear teeth on about one-half thecircumference thereof adapted for meshing with the gear teeth on saidfixed gear, a sheave mounted on said second gear for rotation therewith,a cable wound on said sheave and having one end extending therefrom, aball flush valve in said flush tank, a plurality of pulleys in saidcabinet with said cable trained thereover and connected to said ballflush valve whereby the winding of said cable on said sheave on outwardswinging movement of said door will lift said ball flush valve to flushsaid flush tank and inward swinging movement of said door will not windthe cable on said sheave and operate said ball flush valve, a flush pipeextending downwardly from said flush tank and with a U-bend upwardlycentrally through said platform terminating slightly above saidplatform, and cascade means on the terminal end of said flush pipe fordirecting a flow of water across and through said perforate platform.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 including an inwardly projectingsplash shield in said cabinet overlying the side edges of said platform.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cascade comprises rotaryjets rotated by the force of water flowing therefrom.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 includingmagnetic means formaintaining said door in normally closed po- 'sition.

1. A sanitary pet toilet comprising an upright cabinet, a basin on thelower end of said cabinet forming a hopper, a sewer trap connecting saidbase into a sewer, a perforate platform supported in a horizontal planeabove said basin in said cabinet, a flush tank mounted in said cabinetsubstantially above said platform, a tunnel connected to the lowerportion of said cabinet to provide pet access to said cabinet, a doorclosing the end of said tunnel opposite said cabinet and mounted forswinging movement about a horizontal pivot through the upper edgeportion of said door, a fixed gear mounted on said tunnel adjacent oneside edge of said door with the axis of said gear coincident with apivot for said door, a second gear rotatably mounted on the said oneside edge of said door and having gear teeth on about one-half thecircumference thereof adapted for meshing with the gear teeth on saidfixed gear, a sheave mounted on said second gear for rotation therewith,a cable wound on said sheave and having one end extending therefrom, aball flush valve in said flush tank, a plurality of pulleys in saidcabinet with said cable trained thereover and connected to said ballflush valve whereby the winding of said cable on said sheave on outwardswinging movement of said door will lift said ball flush valve to flushsaid flush tank and inward swinging movement of said door will not windthe cable on said sheave and operate said ball flush valve, a flush pipeextending downwardly from said flush tank and with a U-bend upwardlycentrally through said platform terminating slightly above saidplatform, and cascade means on the terminal end of said flush pipe fordirecting a flow of water across and through said perforate platform. 2.A device as claimed in claim 1 including an inwardly projecting splashshield in said cabinet overlying the side edges of said platform.
 3. Adevice as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cascade comprises rotary jetsrotated by the force of water flowing therefrom.
 4. A device as claimedin claim 1 including magnetic means for maintaining said door innormally closed position.